Microsoft Releases FastStart For Xbox Games Pass Games

Microsoft has released the July update for the Xbox One family of consoles, and the most important change is the addition of FastStart functionality, which decreases the amount of time needed before a game can be started while downloading.

The Xbox One consoles (and competitor PlayStation 4) already had similar functionality that allows players to start playing a game before it’s fully downloaded, but those had to be imposed by the developer of the game. FastStart should be two times as fast according to Microsoft, and you would only need a minimal amount of data before it’s possible to start the game.

Xbox does state that FastStart requires an internet download speed of at least 20 Mbit/s and it’s not available on all titles as of right now. A number of games in the Xbox Game Pass catalog are currently supported, but the Cupertino company promises that FastStart will quickly be available for additional titles.

FastStart uses machine learning to identify which parts of data are needed to start a game, unlike the ‘ready to start’ functionality that is being determined by the developer. Microsoft claims that FastStart is a much better alternative because the previous method would often result in inconsistent experiences.

The Xbox July update also has a number of additional features, such as the option to create ‘groups’ which act as folders for your apps, pins, and games. It’s also easier to access these groups from the home screen. Lastly, the video streaming quality of Xbox games to other devices has been improved.